Easter Realities

Looking through these photos, it looks like our usual Easter festivities. There were gluten free hot cross buns (“Mommy, why don’t you make them with regular flour next year so they’ll actually taste good.” -Seth) The little ones dyed eggs on Saturday, leaving behind big blue-green stains on the table. I woke up before the sun on Easter morning and took Larkspur to the early Mass to sing with the children’s choir. Later the older boys hid the dyed eggs for an egg hunt, and Jonny and I pulled together our annual Easter scavenger hunt.

And then I pretty much collapsed in the bed.

This year our Holy Week was characterized mainly by a stomach virus. It began with the younger children early in the week and Seth wrapped things up on Good Friday, the last major victim. Jonny and Gabe spent the first half of Friday helping a friend move, while I tended the sick and recovering. By Saturday everyone was pretty well mended, if not exhausted. I was grateful for our surplus of eggs, and the boxes of regular old egg dyes that I stocked up on clearance last year after Easter (actually intending to dye yarn with the girls). Dyeing eggs was the perfect activity for our littles.

Larkspur and I somehow escaped the bug, but I still wasn’t sure about taking her to sing Sunday morning. I didn’t set an alarm the night before because I was so tired after the week we’d had, that getting up extra early just didn’t seem like a good idea. But, I found myself wide awake by 5 a.m. on Sunday morning and took that as a sign. I got up and dressed, then cooked breakfast for Larkspur, Beatrix, and I. By the time Mass began I was no longer wide awake and I think Larkspur was feeling the same over with the choir. Beatrix was definitely slouching in her seat. I was grateful that we made it though, and so glad to sing the “Alleluia.” That’s always the best part of Easter Mass for me. I imagined my friends singing with me and tried not to cry.

When the girls and I arrived home, Silas announced that Easter is all about the Easter bunny, despite the fact that as a family, we’ve never been visited by him. (I don’t have a problem with the Easter bunny, he’s just not our thing.) Rather than start beating myself up over where I went wrong that my almost five year old seemed to have no clue about why we celebrate Easter, I laughed at him (because surely he was joking?) and pulled Brian Wildsmith’s The Easter Story out of the Easter book basket and read it aloud. I think that is my favorite Easter story book, and I think Silas has everything straight now.

Late last night I woke up and realized that I was finally coming down with the virus myself. This morning, when Jonny I discussed how our respective nights went, and I told him about mine, he asked, “So did you just start praying like crazy?” No, I pretty much just begged for mercy. My cries were heard, and after about an hour, I was able to go back to bed. Nothing too major, and that was no small mercy.

I can’t tell you how very glad I am that the Easter season is here at last.

p.s. Larkspur got glasses last week! We rushed through the frame picking part because her eyes were dilated and she wanted to get home, so we aren’t super thrilled with our choice now. I know there are lots of places online to buy glasses that are less expensive than buying them at a store, and I want to buy a second pair. (We bought hers at Costco) Any recommendations? This is my first child with glasses, and I am a little clueless because neither Jonny nor I wear them.

My 9-year-old girl wears glasses – we buy them at the optical “shop”? at Walmart. They have a section of 9.99 frames (as of last spring) and the glass cost $28, so about $40 total with tax. We have had good success with cute styles and sturdy designs. They even fixed a broken ear piece for free.

A blessed, Happy Easter to all of you! Everyone looks lovely in their Easter finery. So sorry to hear you were ill, hope all stays well now. And Larkspur looks sharp in her new glasses! Very nice. We get ours at the warehouse club too (and we need lots of glasses in our house). 🙂

I’m glad you’re feeling better. Seth’s comment about the gluten-free buns made me cackle. My mom went gluten-free a few years ago, and this story will make her laugh too. We’ve tried our share of Seth-comment-worthy recipes…. 🙂 Lovely post. ‘Hope you’re all healthy as April begins. ♥

As a second grade teacher, I see lots of kids with glasses….second grade, for some reason, tends to be the year they get them….I’ve been wearing them since I was 7 myself, but I do buy mine at the doctor….I will say I noticed them right away in the pictures…I think she looks cute and resembles a former student who is now a senior and still wearing glasses…..but it’s how she feels about them…so good luck with finding a pair she likes….

Happy Easter to you all! I just love Larkspurs glasses!
I think they look great on her. She would look good in any
glasses she is such a pretty girl!
I hope you are all feeling better soon!
We home schooled our daughter right up to graduation and by the
time we were done our kitchen table had everything on it from Easter
egg dye stains to scissors marks to old glue…..you name it it was there.

One thing I found out, after replacing Sergei’s lost glasses for the third time, is that they have a special DRAWER with “normally priced” glasses. i was SO exasperated, because they seemed almost better quality and just as stylish as the ones I’d paid an arm and a leg for.

I will probably always think of the one meeting we had – in the darkened parking lot last year after the Easter Vigil; after four hours struggling with a toddler in the cry room, I don’t think I looked or felt my best, but still think of it as a great opportunity to have met you in person.

I can’t imagine spending Easter Vigil Mass in the cry room! You are very brave. I am so glad that we got to meet! It was a little surreal, seeing you there in the parking lot and thinking, “Oh my goodness, that’s Annie!!!”

Eight out of nine of us wear glasses (my husband and I since our early teens). Last year we started buying glasses through Zenni Optical online and we’ve been very happy with them. None of us has been able to afford a second pair of glasses before (causing lots of panic when accidents happen), but now we can with Zenni. Their site walks you through the whole fitting process and if you follow their directions carefully, you shouldn’t have any problems. My 13 yo said his Zenni glasses are the best ones he’s had (and he’s broken quite a few before). My husband was able to get the John Lennon glasses he’s always wanted!

Happy Easter, Ginny! You look beautiful and I wouldn’t know you’d been doing virus duty and exhausted from looking at you. Firmoo has sent me several free pairs of glasses for reviews but they’re cheap even if they don’t give them to you free. And you don’t have to go out to the store 😉

As a senior who has worn glasses since middle school, I would never buy frames online unless they were exact replicas of ones I already had. Fit is so important, I feel they must be tried on first. Maybe kids aren’t so fussy, but glasses that continually slip down the nose kind of defeat the purpose of wearing them in the first place, as the correction would always be wrong. And your first pair always seem ugly and awful. But my kids turned not to inherit my terrible vision, so I don’t have the experience of kids constantly losing or breaking them. Good luck!

I bought glasses online and hated them so much that I never wore them. I donated them immediately. I have to try them on. They may be more expensive, but I’ll buy them in the store. Target has super cute frames. And my daughter started wearing glasses at the age of 3 maybe try a childrens eye dr.

Happy Easter! We used Zenni for my daughter’s glasses because we didn’t want to spend a lot of money on something that will inevitably get broken (I have had glasses since I was seven and went through several pairs in my younger years). But I have been pleasantly surprised with the quality from Zenni. She has worn them since October and the glasses are still good as new.

hope ya’ll are feeling better. maybe you can call the doctor and let them know she’s not happy with her choice now that she can actually see them. thanks for the reminder I need to make an appointment for myself. Happy Easter to you and yours. ours was pretty loud having all the children home from school. Had a big family meal on sunday and even went well with my sister this year… was super thankful for that. We ate early and left mom’s by 630pm and had the rest of the night to chill and it was wonderful. Today everybody’s back in school and house is quiet and I am paring down somethings I haven’t used in 2 plus years. Spring cleaning has kicked into high gear… I am even parting with some of my books so i can get new ones…. Peace to you and your family

Happy Easter! I love saying that … After a day it freaks people out that aren’t Catholic. “That was last weekend, Honey!” The Aldi lady told me. :). So.. I highly suggest Walmart. What I usually do, is see the doctor at the Total Eyes. He’s good… In Culpeper. Then I take a written prescription to the Walmart across the street. Once, my dd was done prior to her siblings and I. I came out to her selection… $600 glasses. Um… No. It is good when they show you the correct frame for your face, but the folks at our Walmart are very good. They will tell you what suits. Feel better. Have you been drinking elderberry syrup? I’ve started making the Wellness Mama one. The kids love it. No flus or colds this year. Strep and allergies. Yes. :). As God Wills it.

Hope you are all feeling better! We had a very unexpected day on Easter Sunday – our doe that I didn’t think was pregnant casually popped out a beautiful doeling that morning! Unfortunately she doesn’t have much milk yet, so rushed to a friend’s house for frozen colostrum and milk. The other 2 does, who are enormous, haven’t done a thing yet! The rest of the day was less fun, spent at an urgent care facility and then an emergency visit to an ophthalmologist, getting a piece of steel out of my husband’s cornea! Today is the first day he is feeling better and not in a lot of pain. The new doeling’s name is Easter!

That is really exciting about your doe! Of our two, we feel certain that Greta is pregnant because her udder has changed significantly. Agnes’ udder doesn’t look any different though…but maybe she could still be pregnant? She’s a large goat, and it’s hard to tell if she looks any bigger around… If she is pregnant she is due in about three weeks, I think. Keats had to have a piece of metal removed from his eye once. That was a horrible experience for him, and for me, watching the doctor dig around in his eye! I’m glad your husband is feeling better.

I have used Zenni Optical several times and have even successfully done returns with them. It has always been a smooth process. If the glasses she has fit her face well, you can just take the measurements off of them. Make sure your prescription has the pupilary distance on it before ordering. The kid-sized selection is pretty good; I know because I have to order mine from the kid’s section, haha.

Cute glasses. We always purchase ours at Costco, as we have never been dissappointed with their service. (Also optical goes toward your membership if you are an Executive Member) They often have coupons in the coupon book for a buy one get one on glasses. It might be worth asking if they would honor your other purchase, and get your second pair for free. The most they can do is say no.

Your post about Elizabeth Dehority, which I hadn’t previously read is beautiful Ginny.

Your struggle to keep both feet out of the grave, I have felt that, and it is a hard wrench to get them both on firm ground at times, but it is worth it

this year I have felt the race was leading my family to the grave (trying to prepare for the worst) but it should have been, and will be from now on, a race to the gates of Heaven (HOPE, for the best) and may God grant our family many more years as a complete family

That scripture passage for Hebrews, beautiful, and what a beautiful church
Wow, to sit there at a funeral and see those words around the ceiling, knowing that your loved one is now one of the Crowd of Witnesses, just wow
Whoever designed that church, God was truly guiding them

for glasses, we’ve had great success with http://www.39dollarglasses.com, they are made in the US and come within 4-5 days. my daughter breaks a pair each year, it seems – even though sheprimarily wears contacts now!

I agree with everyone who has said return to Costco. I’ve gotten my last 5 pairs from them and they’ve always worked with me. I also believe that they have a good return policy. Good luck with the hunt for glasses Larkspur. It is nice to be able to focus again after everything being blurry for a time.

I agree with going back and talking to Costco. Usually the opticians will help you pick out a pair that suits her face, especially if you don’t go at a super busy time. For an active child I’d try to go with a flexible frame for her first pair. It’s lightweight and MUCH harder to break. I like her look with the glasses you chose though, so they might grow on you. I’d just be hesitant to pick online when you aren’t even sure what suits her best yet.

We tend to buy glasses at Walmart out of budget desperation. Our small town has a really sweet couple of ladies who work there. We go for the $9-20 frames and I think the lenses are about $19 in kid sizes. The kids can break the frames once per year and have it replaced as a part of the price. It is great to have an inexpensive, cute backup pair for the inevitable loss or breakage that active kids are bound to accomplish 🙂 never ever has one child stepped on another’s glasses accidentally left on the carpet. Or in the backyard. Or lost them at the bottom of a sports bag. Never. Ha.
We love chanting the Deo Gratias Alleluia Alleluia at the end of mass! I hope you have a healthy week.

Love Larkspur’s glasses! They look a lot like Julia’s last pair. I can’t help you out with where to look for a second pair (we go to a local optician here) but I wanted to say I think they look great on her! xo

I absolutely ADORE Larkspur’s glasses. She looks lovely in them. I actually think you guys picked a really good pair – they suit her face :). But she has to like them too, of course!
I was going to suggest Warby Parker as an online glasses store, but I just checked their website to be sure and they don’t do kids’ sizes. Too bad – they have fashionable, reasonably-prized ones and a friend has had good experiences with them. Maybe when she’s a couple of years older, that’s the place to go :).

Sorry about the stomach virus…hope you’re all feeling normal again today!

I love those glasses! You and your girls look beautiful in your Easter best! We were unable to do anything and I mean anything for Easter, as i was traveling most of day coming home from Chicago. Missed doing all the Easter special things….mainly family dinner.

I love Larkspur’s glasses. They look so cute on her. I agree with Melinda C. Go back to Costco. Most places have at least a 30 day guarantee. I would site the fact that her eyes were dialated. If she’s not happy with them, she may not wear them like she should. She’s at an age where things like this matter.

Costco and Samsclub are the best for kids glasses in my experience. I think you do better money wise at those club stores even without using insurance. The kids lenses at SAMs/Costco include anti scratch and anti glare that cost much more at other places. I do have insurance and have learned to get the frames at a place with a larger kids frame selection and then have the lenses made at Costco. So frames are free and lenses. Are about $60.

We got hit by a stomach bug for Holy Week, also 🙁 I couldn’t help but think that at least if there *is* an appropriate time for family stomach bugs, it’s probably Holy Week! A little extra penance for the tail end of Lent 😉

You all look so lovely in your Easter finery! Horizontal stripes are my favorite 🙂

We “survived” Easter here, and are actually hunting for eggs today, because after trying to move the focus away from eggs and candy (and just plain not wanting to do it on my part) we had tears at bedtime last night because we didn’t hunt eggs 🙁 It felt like en epic mom fail, but we’re setting things right today–traditions are important to their little hearts.

Also, I’ve never understood why they expect us to choose frames with our eyes dilated?!?! My doctor does say we can come back and do it later, but haul the kids back twice?! No thanks! 🙂

Go back to Costco. They might take the frames back and let you pick another. If not, they have some of the best lenses – and lenses are the important part. Whoever they have grind their lens just seems to do an excellent job. I’ve worn glasses for almost 60 years, and think I’ve got my best ones from Costco.

I have a friend who swears by http://www.zennioptical.com
She always has super cute glasses.
In my experience, over 50 years of glasses wearing, have someone who works at the glasses place, Costco is fine, help you choose. I have never been lead astray.
Cheers

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